Board approves Foundation plan, discusses international agenda

AORN Journal,  May, 2006  by Charlotte Guglielmi

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The AORN Board of Directors met Feb 17 and 18, 2006, at AORN Headquarters in Denver. All Board members were present, as were members of the AORN executive staff. Guests included Mary Jo Steiert, RN, BSN, CNOR, and Peter Graves, RN, BSN, CNOR, and Nominating Committee members Darin Prescott, RN, CNOR, C, CASC, and Rose Seavey, RN, MBA, CNOR, ACSP.

The agenda was accepted with changes deemed necessary by the Chair. As is required by Association policy, Board members declared any potential conflicts of interest that could affect their work on the Board. The Secretary duly noted these potential conflicts in the minutes.

AORN FOUNDATION

The Board approved a three-year strategic plan for the AORN Foundation, which highlights four priorities on which the Foundation will focus. The priorities are to

1. support education and learning for the perioperative nurse;

2. support and strengthen evidence-based research projects to guide clinical practice, standards, protocols, actions, and decisions;

3. create and/or identify opportunities to support AORN's activities to collaboratively lead health care professionals and the public in perioperative patient safety; and

4. develop and drive a self-sustaining funding and resource model in support of AORN and the AORN Foundation's principles, mission, and initiatives to advance the profession of perioperative nursing.

Tim Callahan, executive vice president, Symphony Medical, Glen Allen, Va, and Sam Robb, vice president, National Distribution, North American Commercial Business, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Atlanta, were reappointed to the Foundation board of trustees for an additional three-year term. Two more trustees will be appointed in the future.

RESOURCES AND AORN POSITION STATEMENTS

The Board endorsed the US Department of Health & Human Services document "Essential nursing competencies and curricula guidelines for genetics and genomics" and agreed to have AORN listed in the final competency document. The Board also approved the updated Perioperative Orientation Resource. This resource was expanded by the National Committee on Education to include orientation of the surgical technologist under the direction of an RN.

The Board approved revisions in two of the 11 position statements that would be brought before the House of Delegates at the 53rd AORN Congress. The revised statements included

* the "Proposed position statement on responsibility for mentoring" and

* the "Proposed position statement on environmental responsibility."

COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES

The Board accepted annual reports from each of the committees, task forces, and specialty assemblies, as well as from the AORN Foundation. On the recommendation of the Finance & Audit Committee, the revised Treasury Management Policy was accepted. The Board also accepted an updated policy on specialty assemblies that reflects the changes that were implemented secondary to the implementation of the Member Access proposal.

INTERNATIONAL AGENDA

A discussion was held regarding AORN's international agenda, and the overall strategy was reviewed. International Resource Committee, chair, Brenda Ulmer, RN, MN, CNOR, introduced visitors from Guatemala: Ana Lucrecia Ruano, president of the newly formed Guatemala Nurses Association; Luiz Gomez, a perioperative nurse on the Board of the Guatemala Nurses Association; and Juan Carlos Giron, who is active in promoting standards to improve nursing skills.

Julie McGrath, AORN's director of meetings and conventions, gave an update on preparations for the 2007 Latin America Conference. Sharon McNamara, RN, MS, CNOR, AORN's representative to the council of nursing representatives of the International Federation of Perioperative Nurses (IFPN), provided an update on the status of the IFPN constitution revision and the transition of IFPN leadership. She reported that the IFPN executive board will meet during the European Operating Room Nurses Association meeting in Dublin, Ireland, in May, rather than at the AORN Congress.

NEW BUSINESS

A discussion was held about the rapidly changing environment in ambulatory surgery and AORN's need to strategically address this segment of our practice environment to better serve our members. The Board approved a motion to appoint a work group that will develop a strategy and report to the Board at the July Board meeting.

Educational competency of all members of the surgical team is a major issue in providing safe care to our patients. As was reported after the November Board meeting, the AORN Board did not endorse the "Statement on surgical technologist training and certification" that was presented for consideration by the American College of Surgeons. Concerns had been expressed regarding language in the document about accreditation sources for surgical technology programs and the effect of designating a specific credentialing source for perioperative executives in some states. Bill Teutsch, Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) executive director, and Ron Crucill, AST education director, met with the AORN Board. A summary of the current status on this issue was presented and a dialogue ensued.